Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Are you familiar with Donna Hay? She's an Australia-based food stylist, author, and magazine editor with a number of cookbooks under her belt all of which boast some of the most beautiful food photography I've ever come across. Every issue of Donna Hay Magazine is filled with page after page of frame-worthy images and downright inspirational recipes. You know, the Pan-Asian (Thai, Vietnamese) influence found in the Australian food scene really excites me. It's punchy and vibrant without over-doing it. And chilis and limes always seem to find their way to the party. To be honest, if it weren't for the excruciatingly long plane ride (uneasy flier, here), I could see myself spending a good chunk of time down under. I just dig the whole vibe.

Not sure how I've gone this long without slipping a Donna Hay recipe in here or there, but let's make up for lost time. She's the culinary genius behind this week's weekend dinner party menu (and Jon Troutman of Cork'd with the wine pairings).

zucchini, feta, and chili bruschetta

Gruner Veltliner

lemon and dill smoked salmon pasta

Cru Beaujolais

rockmelon sherbet

"Austrian wine is coming on stronger than Fall Fashion in New York City. In particular, their native specialty Gruner Veltliner has sent shockwaves through the wine nerd community over the last few years. This is an amazingly food friendly grape that's perfect for some summer-styled bruschetta. The chili and spicy nature of the bruschetta is a perfect partner for Gruner Veltliner, because the grape leaves you with a distinctly peppery, spicy finish. Match made in heaven!

Salmon is the most flexible of fishes, easily paired with either red or white wine. With Fall quickly approaching and your white wine collection depleting quicker than Lindsay Lohan's stash, I suggest going with a red. A Cru Beaujolais from France's Burgundy region is the perfect match, with its fruit forward flavor profile and lightweight mouthfeel. Look for 2009 vintage wines, which just hit shelves--it was one of the region's best years ever!"

Doesn't that just sound lovely? Not a lot of steps or ingredients or multiple fussy courses. Just a straight-forward but undeniably charming and vivacious spread. Friday (as per usual) couldn't come soon enough.

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kiira [dot] leess [at] gmail [dot] com

who i am

When faced with the question of what food means to me, conversation inevitably shifts to my Mor-Mor (Swedish for Grandmother): A phenomenal cook who refused help in the kitchen and didn't believe in recipes. The real deal, if you will.

Mor-Mor had a seriously strong hand with garlic (surprisingly for a Swede) and an innate knack for making anything taste implausibly delicious. There was always a jar of homemade garlic oil in her fridge which found its way drizzled on top of almost everything. Like one of her breakfast treats: homemade bread slathered with garlic oil, a few slices of granny smith apple, and topped with extra sharp cheddar. Into her beloved toaster oven they'd go until the cheese had just melted, lovingly, over the apples. The salty-sweet combination could make your head spin—a beautiful cohesion of flavors and textures from such an unexpected pairing.

And then there were her meatballs. With her homemade tomato sauce made from tomatoes grown in her garden, picked when perfectly plump and warm from the summer sun, a ladle of garlic oil, and tons of parsley (Mor-Mor may or may not have been secretly Italian), they sent eyeballs rolling to the backs of people’s heads. The thought alone of her in that kitchen makes my heart long, once again, for her cooking. For her.

Now when I'm cooking, I finally understand her insistence on navigating the kitchen alone. There's something about getting in there and winding down and having your own personal space to create that’s beyond therapeutic—it’s wholly fulfilling and soul-satisfying.